First of the Required Campaign Financial Statements Are Filed

• Seeking a Council Seat Is Expensive with a Number of Candidates Making Loans to Themselves

BY BILL KOENEKER

The first financial filings—for the period of Jan. 1 to Feb. 27—for the 10 city council candidates in the 2010 election were submitted to Malibu City Clerk Lisa Pope last week.
The filings, which are required by state law, show how much money the candidates took in, who they received their campaign funds from, and list their expenditures.
Individuals are limited to contributions of $250 or less to a candidate.
One of the top recipients of individual donors is Lou La Monte, who took in $17,094, and reported spending $14,198. Seasoned observers say the list of his contributors, besides his Big Rock neighbors, reads like the mailing lists of Mayor Sharon Barovsky, who is supporting La Monte, and former Councilmember Ken Kearsley, who is the treasurer for La Monte’s campaign.
Just behind La Monte in total cash contributions is Laura Rosenthal, who gathered $9725, most of it from individual contribution, except for a $100 loan. She spent $8262. Many of her donors are recognizable as school parents or education activists.
Kofi indicated he has taken in no money and has not spent any on his campaign. He has told city officials and the media that he is not planning on formal campaigning, however, he has set up an account for donations on his website..
Mike Sidley reported total contributions of $17,124, which includes $10,000 he loaned himself. He claimed expenditures of $8169. Many of the cash contributions came from donors outside Malibu, including family members.
Harold Greene reported taking in $19,304. But he has also loaned himself money, specifically $16,805. He collected $2499 in cash contributions. A high percentage of those cash contributions also came from outside the community.
Greene spent $7111 on a campaign consultant, enlisting the services of Freeman Public Affairs.
According to the first filing, the only other two candidates who appear to be utilizing campaign consultant services are Steve Scheinkman and John Mazza, who are running on a slate. The pair reported paying over $16,000 dollars to John Alford for consulting, mailing lists, literature and web design.
Scheinkman, who reported collecting $5920 and made a loan to himself of $13,000, ended up so far spending a total of $15,999.
Mazza loaned himself $15,000 and collected $5100 in cash contributions. He claimed $11,795 in expenditures.
It appears that both men garnered the most money from the entertainment industry, with rock musician Don Henley and his wife donating money, as well as producer Irving Azoff, and local activist and philanthropist Ozzie Silna.
Record producer Lou Adler contributed to Mazza, as did Richard Lawrence, the president of a talent agency.
Ed Gillespie reported collecting $7280 in cash contributions and to date has spent $5223.
Gillespie’s notable contributors were from the Prentiss family who own a drug rehab center in Malibu; some Koss family members, which include the owners of the Malibu Country Mart; Dan Bercu, who oversees three shopping centers in Malibu, including Trancas Country Market; currently seeking expansion permits, and actor Vince Van Patten.
Matthew Katz, who is a record producer, filed incomplete paperwork, according to the city clerk.
The city clerk also indicated that Jan Michael Swift has not turned in the required statements.